Richman flirts with some interesting issues of private priorities—family and love—versus the greater public good by showing...
Second-novelist Richman (The Mask of the Carver’s Son, 2000) pits political morality against personal loyalty as a Chilean exile in Sweden recovers slowly from being brutally kidnapped in retaliation by the Pinochet government.
Well-to-do Salome and working-class Octavio marry as students in Chile. Their lives revolve around poetry and romance until Octavio falls into a successful acting career that brings the couple and their children financial success but leaves Octavio spiritually empty. Then Pablo Neruda asks him to help Allende prepare his campaign for president. Apolitical Octavio can’t resist his idol Neruda, then finds himself drawn to Allende’s goals. Ironically, Salome, already impatient with what she considers her husband’s naiveté, is the one Pinochet’s men kidnap and torture to get even with Octavio after Allende’s fall. As soon she’s saved, thanks to Octavio’s intervention, the family receives asylum in Sweden. There, Salome begins therapy with Samuel, who specializes in post-traumatic stress syndrome. A French Jew whose parents never recovered from their survivors’ guilt after escaping to Peru during the war, Samuel is married to Kaija, whose Finnish parents sent her for adoption in Sweden to avoid their hardships during WWII. Samuel and Salome have a brief affair, which, for ethical reasons, Samuel ends, while Salome leaves Octavio and makes a life for herself. Samuel returns to Kaija, who has been distraught over her own secret, early menopause. Recommitted to Kaija, Samuel dies young of cancer. Twenty years later, Salome is approached to testify to the atrocities perpetrated against her and turns to Octavio for advice. Can she and Octavio rekindle their old love?
Richman flirts with some interesting issues of private priorities—family and love—versus the greater public good by showing both Salome and Octavio’s points of view, but ultimately the Nicholas Sparks–style sentimentality gets in the way.Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2004
ISBN: 0-7434-7642-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
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